Devastating Images of Boko Haram's Attack

Amnesty International has released satellite images showing Boko Haram's latest destruction in northern Nigeria. The images provide further evidence that the African terrorist group ravaged the towns of Baga and Doron Baga last week, razing thousands of houses and buildings and shooting at people "indiscriminately," Amnesty International claims. The death toll currently remains unconfirmed, with the Nigerian government disputing the most recent figure of 2,000.

Amnesty International's before-and-after images reveal horrific damage, with the town of Doron Baga seemingly wiped out by January 7, when the four-day-long attacks finally ended. According to the human rights organization, more than 3,100 structures in Doron Baga were either damaged or razed completely. In Baga, over 600 buildings were damaged or destroyed.

Daniel Eyre, a researcher for Amnesty International, said Thursday in a statement:

These detailed images show devastation of catastrophic proportions in two towns, one of which was almost wiped off the map in the space of four days. Of all Boko Haram assaults analyzed by Amnesty International, this is the largest and most destructive yet. It represents a deliberate attack on civilians whose homes, clinics and schools are now burnt out ruins.

Here are the before-and-after photos of Doron Baga. The before image was taken on January 2, just a day before the Boko Haram assault allegedly began, while the after image was captured on January 7.

According to eyewitness testimony collected by Amnesty International, the Boko Haram militants were killing at random, opening gunfire in every corner of the town. One man told Amnesty International that there were "bodies everywhere we looked."

Another man, who survived the Baga attack, told the organization:

They killed so many people. I saw maybe around 100 killed at that time in Baga. I ran to the bush. As we were running, they were shooting and killing.

The number of casualties in the latest Boko Haram attack, which Amnesty International called the "deadliest" massacre in the terrorist group's history, are still being disputed. While initial reports said at least 2,000 people were killed, BBC News reports that the Nigerian government claims the death toll is just 150 people.

Images: Amnesty International